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View Full Version : Anyone else refuse to spend very much money on any one frag/fish etc?


Ssteve
11/13/2013, 10:28 PM
Every hobby I've ever been involved with has always ended up costing crazy amounts of money.. Race cars, motorcycles, photography etc... So I set a goal with my first reef tank(biocube 14g) No livestock or coral would cost over $50. No equipment would be purchased new.

First tank ended up with a pair of clowns. One very vibrant orange false percula juvenile clown, and a black and white false percula, yellow clown goby and some inverts. For corals I had frogspawn, Duncan's, some star polyps and a few zoa frags. Along the way, I kept a eye on craigslist for deals, and was able to meet some really good people in the local reef club that made some generous donations.

Now I have moved everything over from the 14g to a 24x24 shallow reef that currently houses all of the above as well as a watchman goby, a firefish, some small sps frags, feather duster, hammer and some mushrooms. Saturday I'll be getting my last fish, a cherub Pygmy angel. Totaled together, and it's still a little chunk of money, but I have still yet to see anything over that $50 mark that I just couldn't live without.

Another thing I have come to realize is that most of the people not submersed in this hobby, generally are really drawn to the things most of us take for granted or overlook. Firefish, nicely trimmed gsp, basic zoa's etc.


Anyone else adhere to s strict budget?

RayL
11/13/2013, 11:37 PM
I definitely do not keep to a budget when it comes to buying fish, how ever I do believe some of the nicest fish are overlooked by many people because of the fact they are cheap and common. I have a multiple fish in the 100-300 price range and waiting on one that will be the most that I have ever spent on a fish but I do also have a few fish that I love that were in comparison very cheap.
In my mind no tank is complete with out 1 or 2 orange clowns. I have two perculas. I also have a red firefish, a fish that I have never owned a tank with out having one of. Two clown gobies because of their personalities and cute face. Kole tang, one of the best algae controlling fish with some nice colours. A sand sifting goby, helps clean up. A matted filefish due to the interesting look of them. My most recent purchase a valentini Toby puffer, only puffer that I feel can fit permanently in my current tank.
So as I agree it is important to buy fish that you can afford, I do think if it's a hobby that you love and enjoy, you have to buy what makes you happy(with in reason).

shaginwagon13
11/14/2013, 12:33 AM
I simply refuse to pay $600 for a calcium reactor when the pump isn't included and you can literally go out and purchase the materials needed for $100.

Its not the money that bothers me, a lot of the time its the insane markup on simple equipment that I just refuse to pay. I know I can make it better, with better quality and craftsmanship for a fraction of the price so why not.

CoralBeauty13
11/14/2013, 12:49 AM
I've lost all but one fish when ordering through the mail. Almost $100 a fish gets pretty spendy very quickly. I'll spend on frags IF they are pretty good size, but $20 buck for a one head zoa is not in my book of things to spend on. I'll get luck and run across something good in size and pay the few extra buck. BUt nawww, I'll take a break from this tank for now. The cost sneak up on ya pretty quickly.

shaginwagon13
11/14/2013, 12:52 AM
I'll spend on frags IF they are pretty good size, but $20 buck for a one head zoa is not in my book of things to spend on.

Some fish stores up here try selling 1-2" SPS frags for $50-60.

Again, not something I would waste my money on. Not because of the money just for the principle of it. IMO the best frags come from other members tanks anyways.

st0ned0g
11/14/2013, 01:50 AM
Ya I saw a Zoa frag, 3 heads for 100 tonight...no way.

FNGmacaroni
11/14/2013, 01:54 AM
It is like any other hobby. Some people will spend as much as they can to get that one or two cool things. I don't purchase "cheap" but I do purchase reasonably.

Art13
11/14/2013, 07:03 AM
what i've found with corals, take the acan i have, is at my lfs they had them there for about $90, but i found a good local guy that i got the same acan for $30. He also has about 10x the selection as the local store, all very reasonably priced. The last thing i like about going to him instead of the store, since he keeps it all in his own systems and most are frags from it, there is less of a chance of pests as he doesn't want them in his own tank, as opposed to a store that constantly gets a new supply it is bound to wind up with something.

terrypercula
11/14/2013, 07:12 AM
I was that way but I'm not that way anymore. I did force myself to frag and sell to pay for my new corals. So if I want a new coral that's $200 I make myself sell $200 in frags(this doesn't always work out ha).

Lostinthedark
11/14/2013, 07:51 AM
Almost everything I have was bought used. With patience, eventually the right deal comes along. I drove 2 1/2 hours each way to get a 250 star fire tank and stand for a few hundred bucks. My live stock took forever to build because I can't afford $50 for a 2 inch frag. My wife and I love to visit the fish stores now and then and find that something special for the right price. I have a hard time understanding how some people thousands on a nano. But, to each his own.

Reef Frog
11/14/2013, 09:18 AM
It is like any other hobby. Some people will spend as much as they can to get that one or two cool things. I don't purchase "cheap" but I do purchase reasonably.

This is like my approach. I want good value. But if I want something like a nice colorful scoly for example, I know that I have to pony up some dough however. Otherwise I will never get one and I ain't getting any younger. If I'm not familiar with what a proper price range is, I just check on line to see right on the store.

MondoBongo
11/14/2013, 09:23 AM
for equipment i don't really limit myself if i feel it is good value for money. examples being like AI Vegas or Reef Octopus skimmer. i learned the hard way early on about buying crap dry goods.

as far as livestock and such, i don't have any hard and fast rules, but i do try to buy within reason. generally i try to keep individual coral and fish purchases under $100.

there are exceptions to this of course, i occasionally get caught up with something shiny or pretty, but typically when i hit the $100 mark it starts being harder for me to rationalize and i am more able to walk away.

for coral specifically i tend towards cheaper frags. i like being able to watch things grow an develop in to full colonies, so a high percentage of the stuff in my tank, with a few notable exceptions, started off as relatively small frags. i won't drop insane money just because a particular coral has someone's name attached to it, or a silly nickname. just doesn't do much for me. nothing against anyone who does, it's just not my bag. :)

aandfsoccr04
11/14/2013, 09:43 AM
If I like it and can afford it, I buy it. I knew this wasn't a cheap hobby when i entered it. Reefing on a budget just ain't me.

shaginwagon13
11/14/2013, 09:53 AM
If I like it and can afford it, I buy it. I knew this wasn't a cheap hobby when i entered it. Reefing on a budget just ain't me.

Even $6,000 for a pair of clownfish?? lol

I wish LiveAquaria still had them up for sale but here was the thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1562598

ca1ore
11/14/2013, 10:34 AM
No livestock or coral would cost over $50. No equipment would be purchased new.

I think this depends a bit on where you are with the hobby - and how experienced! Although 'value' is an individual decision, I have dropped $200 on a fish, and would do so again if the right one came along. But you have to have reasonable expectations of being able to keep the animal alive. I certainly would not, could not, spend $30K on a Peppermint Angel though. Buying coral frags from fellow hobbyists is a good way to go. Probably 90% of the corals in my tank have been acquired that way.

Buying used equipment is a whole other proposition though, and far less clear that you will actually save money - in the long run! Aside the fact that most sellers significantly over-estimate the value of the gear they are selling, the inherently corrosive salt-water environment just doesn't encourage long equipment life. OK, there will always be the pump that lasts 20 years; but for every one of those, there are 10 that crap out after 5. I'm very leery of buying used gear, and only if the item in question is either a high quality piece or a small fraction of the original cost. Otherwise you just end up buying someone else's problems!

Joe0813
11/14/2013, 11:10 AM
If I like something then I buy it. Which is why I'm broke :D

Ssteve
11/14/2013, 11:38 AM
I think this depends a bit on where you are with the hobby


I think this is the main thing with a tighter budget. It's a nano tank, IMO it should be a nano price in comparison. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that's how it should always be, or that's my strict nano philosophy. Eventually this tank with have a sump and skimmer that cost well over my current gear budget, as well as a frogfish that will break my $50 rule. In addition to that I have a 115g that I plan to put together over time and plan to use mostly new gear on.

I just like to set some ground rules for myself, and wondered who else does the same(and actually sticks to them). So far the most expensive thing in my tank was a jebao wp25. Purchased it new, but justified it by the fact that it will end up in my 115g lol. So far I am very happy with my little budget build and will stick to my low budget plan till I swap things into the 115